Lockheed Martin says cyber attacks swell

There were 10 attacks noticed in 2007 which has increased to 28 in 2010.

Cyber attacks on Lockheed Martin’s networks have more than quadrupled during the last seven years, according to the firm, which is the leading IT supplier for the US government

Lockheed’s Chandra McMahon, a vice president for commercial markets, said the ten attacks recorded in 2007 had increased to 28 by 2010.

Speaking to Reuters, he said: "While we haven’t seen specific action on objectives in terms of damage, what we have seen over the last several years [is] malware created and deployed to damage critical infrastructure."

About eight of the 10 malicious campaigns which were detected in 2007 are still targeting the network, with six of the attackers being monitored by US security personnel.

Lockheed, which also makes fighter jet, satellites and warships, has detected about 43 organisations this year that are targeting the company’s computer network.

McMahon said that there is a 20% increase in cyber attacks this year which could be labelled as complex, adding that attackers are stealing data, disrupting the computer network and damaging company equipment.